Overview of California restroom accessibility requirements, highlighting differences from ADA standards for commercial adult restrooms.
Key Takeaways
- California accessibility standards for restrooms exceed ADA requirements with additional specific rules.
- Proper signage and turning space are critical for compliance in commercial adult restrooms.
- Lavatory and fixture clearances must follow precise dimensional guidelines to ensure accessibility.
- Doors and grab bars have unique California-specific rules that affect restroom design.
- Mirrors and faucets also have defined accessibility requirements to accommodate all users.
What the video covers
- Introduction to California restroom accessibility requirements and how they build on ADA standards.
- Explanation of specific signage requirements including shapes, sizes, and mounting details for men's and women's restrooms.
- Discussion on required turning spaces in toilet rooms, including 60-inch diameter circles or T-shaped spaces.
- Details on lavatory clearances, knee and toe space requirements, and minimum distances from walls or partitions.
- Clarification on door types in toilet rooms and their impact on turning space encroachments.
- Requirements for mirrors including height and size, with notes on full-length mirrors and locker room mirrors.
- Faucet operation standards prohibiting tight grasping or pinching and promoting lever handles.
- Information on urinal types and rim height requirements.
- Grab bar specifications including length and placement, and ambulatory stall requirements for larger restroom facilities.
- Additional notes on door hardware, shelves, and encouragement to subscribe and engage with the channel.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and Overview
- 01:41Channel Support and Engagement
- 03:15Restroom Signage Requirements
- 05:04Pictograms and Toilet Room Overview
- 06:43Door Types and Turning Space
- 08:24Lavatory Clearances and Knee/Toe Space
- 10:03Faucet Operation and Mirror Requirements
- 15:10Urinals and Grab Bars
- 19:41Ambulatory Stall and Door Hardware
- 23:08Shelves and Closing Remarks
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
Hello and welcome to Archicorner. This is episode number 20. And today, we will be doing an overview of what makes restrooms comply with California accessibility requirements, so hold on to your seats. Archicorner's last video was on ADA requirements for restrooms.
Speaker A
and even though this video may seem the same it is different in this video we will be discussing accessibility requirements specific to california what does that even mean well simply put california takes the ada requirements adds more requirements and then boom you
Speaker A
And even though this video may seem the same, it is different. In this video, we will be discussing accessibility requirements specific to California. What does that even mean? Well, simply put, California takes the ADA requirements, adds more requirements, and then boom, you have California requirements. Therefore, in theory, California requirements should meet all ADA requirements for restrooms as it relates to dimensions and installation. Like the last video on ADA restrooms, this video may also be a little long. Therefore, a timestamp has been provided
Speaker A
in the video description for your use in accessing different topics so if you want to jump to a specific topic feel free to do so but we do hope you watch the entire video and just really quick before we get
Speaker A
in the video description for your use in accessing different topics. So if you want to jump to a specific topic, feel free to do so. But we do hope you watch the entire video. And just really quick before we get
Speaker A
it is thanks to people like you that this channel is able to grow and just to be clear again we're talking about commercial applications in adult restrooms in california so let's get started why don't we start with something that the ada does not
Speaker A
started, Archicorner is a growing channel, and every like and every subscriber helps in making videos like this possible. So do not forget to subscribe, give us a thumbs up, share with others, place questions and/or comments in the video description below.
Speaker A
mounted on the door that is in the shape of a circle and must be 12 inches in diameter for both signs whether it's men's or women's the color of the triangle or circle must contrast with the color of
Speaker A
It is thanks to people like you that this channel is able to grow. And just to be clear again, we're talking about commercial applications in adult restrooms in California. So let's get started. Why don't we start with something that the ADA does not
Speaker A
interesting to note that often times when you see restroom door mounted signs they are often accompanied by pictograms whether it is the international symbol for a man or a woman or sometimes there's a letter m for men or w for woman
Speaker A
even require, and that is signs. Men's restrooms must have a sign mounted on the door that is in the shape of an upward-pointing triangle. Each edge of the triangle must be 12 inches. Women's restrooms must have a sign
Speaker A
you are required to have a turning space in the toilet room this can be provided by either having a 60 minimum diameter circle within the room or a t-shaped space with the minimum dimensions you see drawn here as we talk about additional clearances
Speaker A
mounted on the door that is in the shape of a circle and must be 12 inches in diameter. For both signs, whether it's men's or women's, the color of the triangle or circle must contrast with the color of
Speaker A
clearances required for any fixture which we will talk about shortly now california is specific in differentiating compartment doors and regular room doors in the toilet room a compartment door can encroach in the turning space without any limitation the regular toilet room door however can
Speaker A
the door. The sign must be a quarter inch thick, and they must be mounted within one inch of the center of the door and be mounted between 58 inches minimum and 60 inches maximum above the finished floor, measured to the center of the sign. It is
Speaker A
by 48 inches minimum in size as you see drawn here in floor plan please note that if this lavatory was to be a single lavatory and it was in an alcove deeper than 24 inches the clearance would need to be 36 inches
Speaker A
interesting to note that oftentimes when you see restroom door-mounted signs, they are often accompanied by pictograms, whether it is the international symbol for a man or a woman, or sometimes there's a letter M for men or W for woman.
Speaker A
inches minimum which is different than the ada this dimension can gradually be reduced to 27 inches minimum and should extend a minimum of 8 inches back from there the clearance can be reduced to 9 inches and should extend 11 inches back minimum
Speaker A
In reality, those are not required. You may place them, but if you place pictograms, just be aware that there is a section for requirements on pictograms, so be sure to keep that in mind. Now let's go into the toilet room itself.
Speaker A
clearance back because you cannot extend the toe clearance more than 6 inches beyond the knee clearance california is also specific to the minimum distance between a laboratory and an adjacent wall or partition the lavatory must be 18 inches minimum
Speaker A
You are required to have a turning space in the toilet room. This can be provided by either having a 60-inch minimum diameter circle within the room or a T-shaped space with the minimum dimensions you see drawn here. As we talk about additional clearances,
Speaker A
lavatory as shown here the measurements are taken to the top of the lavatory rim not the countertop this gets overlooked all the time you would be surprised many just measure the countertop and think that it will be fine so be
Speaker A
know that clear floor spaces, clearances at a fixture, and turning spaces are indeed allowed to overlap each other. And in case you're wondering, yes, the door can swing into the turning spaces, but a door cannot swing into floor spaces or
Speaker A
twisting of the wrist in addition it is required to be operable with one hand and that is why most of the time you see levers used to operate them similar to what is shown here alternatively if you activate the faucet
Speaker A
clearances required for any fixture, which we will talk about shortly. Now, California is specific in differentiating compartment doors and regular room doors in the toilet room. A compartment door can encroach in the turning space without any limitation. The regular toilet room door, however, can
Speaker A
contact which in many cases just means having a built counter beneath for protection one down all right we're done with lavatories let's move on to mirrors if a mirror is provided above a lavatory the bottom edge of the reflective
Speaker A
only encroach into the turning space by 12 inches. Let's now move on to lavatories. The floor or ground space requirements are that a clear floor space be provided for a forward approach. A forward approach is 30 inches minimum
Speaker A
surface which in this case would be up here so be careful how about other type of mirrors such as full body mirrors these are required to have the bottom edge of the reflective surface at 35 inches maximum above the finished
Speaker A
by 48 inches minimum in size, as you see drawn here in floor plan. Please note that if this lavatory was to be a single lavatory and it was in an alcove deeper than 24 inches, the clearance would need to be 36 inches
Speaker A
above the finished floor we're not going to talk about this but as an fyi california also has requirements for mirrors located in locker rooms just fyi in case you need to do something in a locker room all right we're done with another one
Speaker A
wide minimum instead of just 30 inches. Knee and toe clearances below the sink are also required. Starting with the knee clearances, California has special requirements for lavatories when it comes to knee clearances. The bottom of the sink must be at 29
Speaker A
and just like the lavatory if the depth is greater than 24 inches then 36 inch minimum width is required not just 30 inches wide urinals may be stall type or wall hung type as shown here if it is a wall hung type the rim must
Speaker A
inches minimum, which is different than the ADA. This dimension can gradually be reduced to 27 inches minimum and should extend a minimum of 8 inches back. From there, the clearance can be reduced to 9 inches and should extend 11 inches back minimum.
Speaker A
44 inches maximum above the finished floor hey we're moving along nicely guys we're moving on so hold on tight we're getting there let's move on to accessible water classic compartments but before we start talking about water closets let's clear something up really
Speaker A
And following up with the toe clearance, toe clearance is required to extend 17 inches minimum and 25 inches maximum underneath. If you do extend the 17 inches up to 25 inches back, note that you need to move the entire
Speaker A
can now see here is a room that is usually used by only one person at a time or by a family like a parent going in there with a child with that in mind first we're going to talk about toilet compartments
Speaker A
clearance back because you cannot extend the toe clearance more than 6 inches beyond the knee clearance. California is also specific to the minimum distance between a lavatory and an adjacent wall or partition. The lavatory must be 18 inches minimum
Speaker A
water closet compartments one of them is larger than the rest this larger one is often referred to as the accessible stall and is the stall that needs to meet all the requirements set forth for accessibility california requires that a minimum of
Speaker A
away from the finished wall or partition, measured from the center line of the fixture. 34 inches maximum height is required to the top of the counter or top of the lavatory rim, whichever one is higher. So if your lavatory is a top-mounted
Speaker A
in order to talk about the requirements for doors we will need to show the other three possible layouts of an accessible water stall you have side door that swings in side door that swings out front door that swings in
Speaker A
lavatory, as shown here, the measurements are taken to the top of the lavatory rim, not the countertop. This gets overlooked all the time. You would be surprised. Many just measure the countertop and think that it will be fine, so be
Speaker A
max from the front partition or wall if it's located in the front partition the door should be four inches maximum from the sidewall or partition furthest from the water closet one thing to have in mind is that if a
Speaker A
careful. Be sure you know what type of lavatory you're using. And now for the faucets. We have all seen faucets with knobs, mainly residential applications. However, the controls used to operate a faucet are not allowed to have tight grasping, pinching, or
Speaker A
usually by means of a gravity hinge a door pool must be placed on both sides of the door near the latch now for the operation of the hardware it must be operable with one hand and can not require tight grasping pinching
Speaker A
twisting of the wrist. In addition, it is required to be operable with one hand, and that is why most of the time you see levers used to operate them, similar to what is shown here. Alternatively, if you activate the faucet
Speaker A
this video if you are interested the clearances apply to these doors as well with two california exceptions the first exception is that if the approach to the door is from the push side of the compartment door clearance between the door and any
Speaker A
by pushing on hardware or by a sensor, the faucet must remain open for at least 10 seconds. Last but not least, for lavatories, water supply and drain pipes under lavatories are required to be insulated or otherwise configured to protect against
Speaker A
closet depends on the type of water closet you have and in california it also depends on the location of the door there are two types of water closets wall hung and floor mounted if you use a wall hung
Speaker A
contact, which in many cases just means having a built counter beneath for protection. One down. All right, we're done with lavatories. Let's move on to mirrors. If a mirror is provided above a lavatory, the bottom edge of the reflective
Speaker A
grab bars dispensers sanitary napkin disposal units coat hooks shelves accessible routes clear floor space and other clearances required at other fixtures and turning space may be provided within these clearances however the doj advisory tells us that this space
Speaker A
surface must be at 40 inches above finished floor maximum. Let's zoom in here because it is important to note that this is not to the frame or trim that surrounds the mirror. Note this is measured to the reflective
Speaker A
swinging door must have 60 inches maneuvering space in front of the water closet also accessible compartments with an end opening door must have 48 inches in front of the water closets and last in california accessible compartments with an
Speaker A
surface, which in this case would be up here, so be careful. How about other types of mirrors, such as full-body mirrors? These are required to have the bottom edge of the reflective surface at 35 inches maximum above the finished
Speaker A
by partitions either located on the front the side or both partitions these partitions must meet certain toe clearances these clearances must meet nine inches minimum above the finished floor and six inches minimum depth beyond the partition outside of the stall california does not
Speaker A
floor. There is no reference on how tall a mirror should be, but the DOJ has advised that a single full-length mirror can accommodate a greater number of people, including children, if such full-height mirror has a top edge at 74 inches minimum
Speaker A
are you still hanging on are you still with us i hope you are we're we're halfway through this probably a little more so let's keep on moving don't give up you're almost done you're almost there come on let's move on to the requirements for
Speaker A
above the finished floor. We're not going to talk about this, but as an FYI, California also has requirements for mirrors located in locker rooms. Just FYI in case you need to do something in a locker room. All right, we're done with another one.
Speaker A
and 18 inches from the sidewall or partition measured to the center line of the water closet water closet seats shall be between 17 inches minimum and 19 inches maximum above the finished floor measured to the top of the seat the seat
Speaker A
Let's now switch onto urinals. Just like the lavatory, the urinal must also have a clear floor or ground space designed for front approach, which, as we mentioned before, is a 30 inch minimum by 48 inch minimum floor clearance.
Speaker A
above the finished floor they can be hand operated or automatic if they are hand operated they must be located on the open side of the water closet moving on to toilet paper dispensers these must be located between 7 inches
Speaker A
And just like the lavatory, if the depth is greater than 24 inches, then 36 inch minimum width is required, not just 30 inches wide. Urinals may be stall type or wall-hung type, as shown here. If it is a wall-hung type, the rim must
Speaker A
dispenser should be at 19 inches minimum above the finished floor in addition the dispenser must be below the grab bar and there are additional grab bar clearances that must be met which we will talk about in a minute
Speaker A
be 17 inches maximum above the finished floor. However, regardless of whether it is stall type or wall-hung type, they both must be 13 and a half inches deep minimum. California is different in that the flushing control has to be mounted to a maximum height of
Speaker A
sidewall between the rear wall and the toilet paper dispenser it is interesting that a specific horizontal plane dimension is not noted only that it be adjacent to the toilet paper dispenser the disposal unit must be below the grab
Speaker A
44 inches maximum above the finished floor. Hey, we're moving along nicely, guys. We're moving on, so hold on tight. We're getting there. Let's move on to accessible water c...
Speaker A
it must be 42 inches long minimum 12 inches maximum from the rear wall and extend 54 inches minimum from the rear wall note that the 12 inches maximum from the wall and the extension is maximum this is placed because
Speaker A
sometimes rather than providing two separate grab bars you can accommodate this using a single l-shaped grab bar that can accommodate both requirements including the requirements for the rear grab bar which is next the rear grab bar must be 36 inches long
Speaker A
minimum the placement is based on the center line of the water closet from the center line you must have 12 inches minimum to the wall side and 24 inches minimum to the open side as for height goes both the side grab bar and
Speaker A
rear grab bar are required to be mounted between 33 inches minimum and 36 inches maximum above the finished floor this measurement is taken to the top of the gripping surface now let's see a section of an enlarged grab bar to understand other
Speaker A
requirements circular grab bars are required to have a one and a quarter inch minimum and up to two inch maximum outside diameter the space between the wall and the grab bar is required to be one and a half inches
Speaker A
interestingly enough there is no minimum and there is no maximum for this so it has to be just one and a half inches between the grab bar and projecting objects below the grab bar there needs to be one and a half inches
Speaker A
clear there also has to be a one and a half inch minimum clearance at the end of the grab bar have in mind that this applies to both grab bars and it also applies to both ends of the grab bars even though
Speaker A
graphically only one dimension is shown here between the grab bar and projecting objects above you are required to have 12 inches minimum clear let's talk now about the ambulatory stall an ambulatory stall is required anytime there are six or more toilet
Speaker A
compartments which include urinals and water closets as shown here there are a total of six compartments including the urinals therefore an ambulatory stall is required in california once the number of fixtures exceeds six the number of ambulatory compartment stalls is required to be a
Speaker A
minimum of five percent of the total count of stalls in the men's restroom this would be water closets and urinal compartments combined to provide one an ambulatory stall is required to be between 35 inches wide minimum and 37 inches
Speaker A
wide maximum it's also required to have 60 inches minimum in length specific to california if the approach to the door is from the latch side the door must have a clearance of 44 inches minimum the water closet must be between 17
Speaker A
inches and 19 inches from the side or wall partition measured to the center line of the water closet as shown here this measurement is to both partitions grab bars must also be placed on each side these grab bars are required to meet the
Speaker A
same exact requirements as the side grab bars in the accessible stall we talked about earlier 42 inches minimum 12 inches max from the back wall and must extend from the back wall a minimum of 54 inches going back to the plan view here the
Speaker A
doors provided must also be self-closing a door pull must be placed on both sides of the door near the latch and the doors cannot swing into the minimum required compartment area which basically means you have to swing the door
Speaker A
out unless you make the stall deeper man we're covering a lot of space here guys almost there just a little more we are moving on now to the accessories coat hooks may be installed up to 48 inches maximum above the finished floor only if
Speaker A
there is no obstruction below since this is a restroom it is uncommon to have a counter or shelves underneath the coat hook and let's face it if you place a counter or shelf beneath a coat hook then why even
Speaker A
put one at all come on just have in mind that if there are obstructions below although unlikely this might be reduced to 44 inches above the finished floor depending on the type of obstruction technically speaking you can place a
Speaker A
coat hook right down to 15 inches minimum above the finished floor but again if you're placing a coat hook at 15 inches above the finished floor then why are you placing one to begin with nevertheless it's allowed also in california accessories are
Speaker A
specifically called out to be 40 inches maximum above the finished floor as you can see here just have in mind that when it comes to accessories the top mounting height is to the operable part whether it's a lever a button or
Speaker A
whatever it may be it has to be to the top of the highest operable part moving on to shelves the shelves may be installed between 40 inches minimum and 48 inches maximum above the finished floor however the shelves should not be more
Speaker A
than 4 inches deep if you guys have gotten this far congrats we're just a couple of items away from finalizing this thing the last items to talk about are single toilet rooms these pretty much have the same requirements as a toilet compartment
Speaker A
which we've been talking about this whole time with just one exception there must be a 60 inch by 56 inch minimum clearance measured from the perpendicular wall or partition and the rear wall or partition respectively this is regardless of whether the toilet
Speaker A
is wall mounted or floor mounted in addition in california you are also required to have 48 inches clear maneuvering space in front of the water closet keeping the 60 inch width all right man take a look at everything we
Speaker A
learned today we did a lot you made it to the end of the video congratulations i hope you found this video interesting please remember to place your comments below and if you're interested in a certain subject please note it i am leaving you with
Speaker A
some videos that i think may interest you including one that speaks about the maneuvering clearances required outdoors please remember to subscribe if you like this content and all the thumbs up always help so if you feel like you're in a cheerful mood
Speaker A
please give this video a thumbs up i hope you have a good day or a good night depending on when you're watching this but for now this is arki corner signing out you
Topics:California accessibilityrestroom complianceADA vs California standardscommercial restroomsaccessible lavatoriesrestroom signageturning space requirementsgrab barsaccessible faucetsambulatory stall











